Three Fires

 

“All things are connected. Whatever befalls the

earth befalls the children of the earth.”

-Chief Seattle

Suqwamish and Duwamish

 

Originally the Anishanaabeg in Michigan were a collection of closely related tribes: Ojibwe, Odawa and Potawatomi. Their alliances were established when they reached the area of Michlimackinac on their journey westward from the northeastern Atlantic coast. The Midewiwin scrolls revealed that the formation of the Council of Three Fires was dated back to 796 AD at Michilimackinac. The Ojibwe were addressed as the Older Brother, the Odawa as the Middle Brother, and the Potawatomi as the Younger Brother. The Ojibwa were referred to as the keepers of the faith, the Odawa were the keepers of trade, and the Potawatomi were the designated keepers of the fire. Their alliances were established when they reached the area of Michlimackinac which is currently referred to as Mackinac City, Michigan, on their journey westward from the northeastern Atlantic coast (Clifton, Cornell and McClurken, 1986).

            The Three Fires Council had several meeting places. Michilimackinac became the preferred meeting place due to its central location. The Council met for military and politi-cal purposes. The totem system was based on the clan struc-ture and promotion of trade.

            During the 1750s, France expanded its territorial claims into the Ohio River Valley, which further instilled animosity between France and Britain. In 1754 and 1755 the French defeated the young George Washington, General Edward Braddock, and Braddock’s successor, Governor William Shirley of Massachusetts. The British military efforts were thwarted by a lack of interest at the home front, opposition among the American colonies, and France’s success with gaining more support from Indian allies. In 1756 the British formally declared war against the French beginning the Seven Years’ War or better known as the French and Indian War because of the French and British rivalry over territory and pelts.  The new British commander in America, Lord Loudoun, was confronted with the same issues as his predecessors. He met with the same defeat against the French and their Indian allies. 

            Circumstances changed drastically in 1757 due to William Pitt’s vision, his vision of expanding the British Empire. Pitt served as the Secretary of State of Foreign Affairs for Britain during the time of the French and Indian War. The colonial conflicts provided the tools to accomplish this goal. To fund this venture Pitt borrowed heavily and offered reimbursement to the colonies to acquire troops in North America. He also paid Prussia to fight in Europe for the British. In 1758, the British won their first great triumph at Louisbourg near the mouth of the St. Lawrence River.

            The British conquered the French at Fort Frontenac at the western end of the St. Lawrence River. The French lost command over the Plains of Abraham in 1759 which resulted in the fall of Montreal in 1760. The French lost their foothold in Canada. Spain joined France against England. Britain increased its efforts to seize more of the French and Spanish territories in other parts of the world (Clifton, Cornell and McClurken, 1986).

            In March of 1762 the King of France, King Louis XV, ordered a formal request for peace talks with the British government. The British government was also interested in stopping the war. The war was extremely expensive and was financed by accumulated debt. The creditors financing the British military efforts were wondering if Britain could pay off its loans. What added to British decision to end the war was George II’s death. His successor, George III, was also interested in ending the war. The peace talks between France and Britain resulted in the Treaty of Paris in 1763. In the terms of the treaty, France turned over all its territories in mainland North America which ended the military threats to the British colonies.

            Dissention continued to occur between the Anglo-American colonists and the British Government because of conflicting interests. The British were tired of providing a military presence to manage the post-treaty policies which were supposed to address the interests of the Indian people and the colonists. An argument transpired about the levying of taxes to pay for debts concerning wartime expenses. The Treaty of Paris resulted in the colonists moving towards independence even under the tyranny of a stalwart British Empire (Conlan, 1994).

            Eagle and Coyote were assigned a mission by the Creator that involved joining an Ojibwe tribe which was a part of the Three Fires Council during the time of the French and Indian War. The French soldiers met with the Three Fires Council to enlist their assistance in the war effort against the Iroquois and British. The Three Fires Council decided to join the French as their allies.

            They shape shifted into elder leaders of an Ojibwe tribe. Coyote created an image of a strong older man named Gray Wolf. Eagle transposed herself into an elder woman referred to as White Wolf. Both were placed in charge of holding the council meetings because they are respected elders and spiritual leaders for the Ojibwe tribe. The location is currently called Mackinac Island, Michigan.

            The Three Fires Council decided to serve as an ally to the French during the war. A long-standing hostile his-tory existed between the Three Fires and the Iroquois. The Iroquois served as allies to the British which automatically created a strong alliance between the Anishanaabeg and the French.